College Football Picks: Stanford-Oregon, Heisman showcase

FILE - In this Saturday, Sept. 8, 2018, file photo, Stanford running back Bryce Love (20) rushes against Southern California during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Stanford, Calif. A couple of Pac-12 stars have a chance to put themselves into the Heisman mix on Saturday night when No. 7 Stanford visits No. 20 Oregon. Love, last year’s Heisman runner-up behind Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield, is already way behind the field in the Heisman race, but the speedster can make up ground in a nationally televised night game. (AP Photo/Tony Avelar, File)

Heisman Trophy winners need Heisman moments and at least a few big-stage games to bolster their resumes on the way to New York. The early season chatter has mostly been dominated by first-year starting quarterbacks…

Heisman Trophy winners need Heisman moments and at least a few big-stage games to bolster their resumes on the way to New York.

A couple of Pac-12 stars have a chance to put themselves into the mix on Saturday night when No. 7 Stanford visits No. 20 Oregon. Cardinal running back Bryce Love was last year’s Heisman runner-up behind Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield, but he is off to a slow start. Love was held in check by San Diego State in Stanford’s opener — though all the attention paid to Love allowed the Cardinal’s passing game to flourish. Then Love sat out last week’s tune-up against UC Davis because of an undisclosed injury that doesn’t seem to have been particularly serious.

Love already is way behind the field in the Heisman race, but the speedster can make up ground during a nationally televised night game.

Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert has put up nice numbers in the first three weeks of the season, with 10 touchdown passes, no interceptions and 10.4 yards per attempt. He is not quite at the Tua level, but he’s not that far off.

The problem for Herbert is Oregon’s nonconference schedule might have been the weakest in the country. Texas A&M bailed on a home-and-home with the Ducks a few years backs and left Oregon without a Power Five nonconference opponent. And the way the Pac-12 schedule lays out for the Ducks, this Stanford game could be one of Herbert’s few times in the spotlight. Oregon hosts Pac-12 North rival Washington in three weeks, but the Ducks’ Pac-12 South games are against UCLA, Arizona and Arizona State. Maybe the Sun Devils will be good?

But it starts with Stanford. If Herbert and the Ducks don’t impress, the Heisman talk is moot.

The picks:

Friday

No. 10 Penn State (minus 28) at Illinois

Nittany Lions are playing their first regular-season Friday game since 1982. This is weird … PENN STATE 35-14.

FAU (plus 13½) at No. 16 UCF

Lane Train vs. the defending “national champions” … UCF 42-24.

Saturday

No. 22 Texas A&M (plus 27) at No. 1 Alabama

Nick Saban is 12-0 against former assistant Jimbo Fisher, including 1-0 against Fisher while he was at Florida State … ALABAMA 48-17.

No. 2 Georgia (minus 14½) at Missouri

Another quarterback with a chance to get some Heisman attention: Mizzou’s Drew Lock … GEORGIA 48-28, BEST BET.

No. 3 Clemson (minus 17) at Georgia Tech

Tigers have won five of six in the series, all by at least 14 points … CLEMSON 35-16.

The storied programs have met three times. Army beat OU in 1946 behind Heisman winners Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis, and Oklahoma won in 1959 and ’61 by a combined 14 points. This probably won’t be like that … OKLAHOMA 42-21.

Louisiana Tech (plus 20) at No. 6 LSU

Tigers are the only team in the country that has not committed a turnover … LSU 42-17.

No. 7 Stanford (minus 2) at No. 20 Oregon

For a few seasons, this was THE rivalry in the Pac-12; Cardinal have won the last two by a combined score of 101-34 … OREGON 31-28.

No. 8 Notre Dame (minus 7½) at Wake Forest

ND is one of 17 FBS teams that have thrown more interceptions (four) than touchdown passes and the only one still unbeaten … WAKE FOREST 28-24, UPSET SPECIAL.

Arkansas (plus 30) at No. 9 Auburn

Tigers have won four of last five and averaged 47 points in those games … AUBURN 47-13.

Arizona State (plus 17½) at No. 10 Washington

In one of the strangest results of last season: Sun Devils 13, Huskies 7 … WASHINGTON 28-13.

Kansas State (plus 16½) at No. 12 West Virginia

Last four meetings have been split and decided by an average of three points … WEST VIRGINIA 35-21.

No. 13 Virginia Tech (minus 27½) at Old Dominion

Hokies leave the mountains and visit the other side of the state … VIRGINIA TECH 45-14.

No. 14 Mississippi State (minus 10) at Kentucky

Second best team in the SEC West vs. the second best team in the East? Maybe … MISSISSIPPI STATE 31-20.

Texas Tech (plus 13) at No. 15 Oklahoma State

Cowboys have won nine straight meetings, averaging 48 points per game … OKLAHOMA STATE 49-31.

No. 17 TCU (minus 3½) at Texas

Average score of last four meetings, all won by the Horned Frogs: TCU 38, Texas 8 … TCU 31-28.